


Taxi Cab

by sparklinpopcorn



Category: Camp Camp (Web Series)
Genre: Maxs parents hooray, but they're abusive assholes, dadvid, david is dad, so none of this is original, this is actually an animation, v short story
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-14
Updated: 2018-11-14
Packaged: 2019-08-23 15:36:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,743
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16621721
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sparklinpopcorn/pseuds/sparklinpopcorn
Summary: It's the end of summer camp and Max has to go back to his parents. But apparently picking up their son on time is not possible.Basically a fanfic of Max and David waiting for Max's parents and David ending up adopting Max.





	Taxi Cab

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Pilot-Doodles](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Pilot-Doodles).



> Heya! Nice to see that you clicked on this fanfic (didn't expect you to).  
> Disclaimers before this story starts:  
> The story idea does not belong to me but to Pilot-Doodles on Youtube who made a Camp Camp animation to the Twenty One Pilot song 'Taxi Cab' (the animation has the same name as well), so if you like this story make sure to check out their animation and give them props as well (seriously it's beautiful).  
> I just took the time to write it out and put more dialogue in it.  
> Also English is not my first language so please forgive me for spelling or grammar mistakes and be so kind to point them out if you want to.  
> Anyway thisnote has already been going on for far too long so..... enjoy the story! 
> 
> PS: If the dialogue seems to be a bit iffy: it's partly taken from the animation as well because I really wanted to incorporate some parts of the song into the story as well.

“Guess I’ll see you next summer then?”  
Nikki smiled while looking at Max with hopeful eyes. Max rolled his eyes at her,  
“One way or another I probably will be stuck in this nightmare next summer again. If you like it or not.” he grinned.  
Nikki’s smile, if that was even possible, grew even wider with that. She hugged him shortly and then ran to her mother’s car. Max watched them drive down the path ‘til the emissions of the vehicle blurred out of existence. 

Nikki had been the last camper except Max to be picked up by their parents. Neil’s dad had already appeared an hour ago and Neil had looked even more miserable because of that fact. Max was happy that both of his friend’s goodbyes hadn’t ended in tears. Neil’s didn’t because of his father behaving like an embarrassment to the entire world (at least that was how Neil put it) again and he had been too occupied to not die of humiliation. 

Nikki’s didn’t either because of her unshakable believe that they would see each other again next year. And Max knew that she was probably right with that. He had been sent to this shitty excuse for a camp for the last two years, so he was counting on his parents being too busy to care for their son over the summer holidays and pay for another year at Camp Campbell. Max knew how bad that actually sounded but he’d always choose this camp over 10 weeks staying at his parent’s house. And since Nikki’s and Neil’s arrival he had had actual fun at it for once. To part from his new best friends and having to wait for a whole year until their reunion was depressing for Max to say the least. He wasn’t cheery at all about seeing his parents again. If he was honest he dreaded it more than David’s stupid camp songs. 

As if he had heard Max’s train of thought David appeared behind him.  
“Now the only thing left to do is to wait for your parents Max.”  
He was still his optimistic, annoyingly bright self, despite the disaster that had been Parents Day. Max kept quiet. He knew that arguing with David about the fact that his parents probably forgot him wouldn’t make things better. David was already a little down in the dumps of having to say goodbye to the camp. So they just continued standing at the end of the path, waiting. The time passed by and 2 pm turned into 8 pm. They’ve been standing on the same place for hours, well only speaking for David because Max had moved to lean against a tree after the first half hour of waiting. 

 

The sky was already dark when the bright flashlight of a car hit Max’s face. Great, his parents had finally arrived. He didn’t move a millimeter from the point he was standing and watched as David approached the dark figures getting out of the car. His stomach turned. David’s happy smile and chatter stood in stark contrast to his parents’ displeased and annoyed faces. They waved at him to get into the car. No “Hi!”, “We hope you had fun!” or “We missed you over the holidays!” 

Nothing. He didn’t move. He was already able to see the mimics of his parents faces twist into anger. Again they tried to move Max by shouting at him to get into the fucking car. He still didn’t listen. He could now see that David was getting more nervous by the minute even having jumped at his father’s harsh tone. He stayed by the tree, disinterest and ignorance written on his face. On the inside he knew exactly what happened when he didn’t listen and he felt sick at the listing of possible consequences. But he didn’t want to give in, despite the rising discomfort shown on David’s face and his parents bubbling anger. A few seconds passed, Max still not moving and keeping quiet. Then they snapped. 

With enraged looks they rapidly walked over to him, shouting continuously what an insolent brat he was. His father grabbed him by the back of his hoodie and pulled him to the car while his mother continued to insult him, throwing threats of him being grounded for the rest of the month and worse. Max’s distress was now shown on his face, waves of fear and realization washing over him, trying to struggle free from his father’s grip, yelling. He got a glance of David’s expression which seemed to be extreme shock. At a second glance he made it out to be just the layer, masking the bubbling rage. 

“Stop it! You’re hurting him!” David screamed into the mess of shouts. Suddenly both became still and stared at David in utter disbelief.  
“What did you say?” his father asked, letting go of Max’s hoodie, stepping closer to David. But to Max’s surprise David wasn’t backing down.  
“I said that you’re hurting him.”  
“If I was you I would mind my own damn business. Don’t think you have the right to criticize our parenting.”  
“Actually I think I do, seeing as I spend the last 10 weeks taking care of Max and the other campers. And if I’m right this is child abuse which is a criminal offence.”  
Deafening silence followed, the eyes of Max’s father now holding a murderous glance. And then a fist met David’s face, who stumbled a few feet back, holding his cheek. Anger now clearly shown on his face and glancing back at Max’s father. Max’s mother stepped forward  
“You know what?! If you think you are capable of taking care of this accident then take him!” she screamed, pushing a shocked and scared Max into an equally shocked David. Everything happened too fast after that. Max’s parents got back into the car, turned around and drove away. The last thing they heard before they went out of existence was his mother’s voice.  
“Oh, and if you realize how much of a failure he is don’t bother bringing him back to us!”

 

David didn’t say anything, his brain still having to comprehend the horrific excuse of Max’s parents and what they just did, holding his swelling eye. Max on the other hand was devastated. His barrier started to crumble, brick after brick tumbling down but he tried to keep the tears at bay. He stayed quiet not being able to say anything. He knew that he would break down if he tried to use his voice. He had known that his parents would shout at him and be violent but he never thought that they would actually leave him behind, erasing him out of their lives by telling David to not bring him back.  
“Come on Max.”  
Max slightly jumped at David interrupting his spiral of thoughts. He saw David turn, pulling out his car keys from his pants and walking over to his car. Max followed hesitantly, getting in on the passenger side. He still didn’t say anything, not even as they started to drive down the path, away from the camp. 

He looked over at David, whose eyes were glued to the road, studying his face. The spot where his father’s fist had met David’s face had started to swell and bruise. At the sight Max felt tears start to burn in his eyes. He turned away, looking out of the window at the dark forest and forcing the whimpers that were trying to escape back into his throat.  
“Max?” David softly asked into the silence. He still must have noticed the tears so Max turned away from the window now staring out of the front, avoiding David’s eyes that were now glancing back and forth between his face and the path. From the corner of his eyes he could see the sympathetic smile on his face. He didn’t respond.  
“After what your parents said…” a pause of hesitation “You know . . . you could always stay with me?” Max turned at this sentence now looking back at David with disbelief. He didn’t actually mean that, did he?  
“If you- Only if you want. . .” 

At that Max’s barrier broke down completely, tears now freely streaming over his face his mimic twisting into a painful expression. He wasn’t able to understand this. How anyone would want to take care of him least of all David who he had shown nearly nothing but hate and disrespect. How he could think that taking him in was a good idea. He felt gratefulness wash over him letting himself believe for a short moment that this could work before his fears hit him again. David wouldn’t want to deal with him, he had been a dick from the moment he arrived at Camp Campbell. He knew how bad he was at opening up to anyone and that he would be a nuisance to him just like he was to his parents.  
He felt so guilty for everything he had thrown at David’s head in this moment, who despite everything, still offered to stay with him. He didn’t want to take the offer not because he didn’t want to stay with David but because he was scared. Scared that David would become fed up with him and leave him behind like his parents. He knew that David would never do something like that but the doubt continued to play the scenario over and over in his head.

“Don’t be afraid.” Max glanced back at David, scared, who apparently knew what was going on his mind.  
“-I said: Don’t be afraid” he repeated, trying to reassure Max, throwing him smile and telling him that everything would be ok. Max was silent, the tears stopping to stream down his face. 

“-We’re going home.” 

And with that another wave of tears hit Max. A wave of happy and grateful tears. Trying to comprehend David’s words. He would have a home. A real one where someone actually cared for him. He actually believed David. Everything would be ok. He was so overtaking by his emotions that he hugged David, being grateful for everything at this moment, everything that happened, even for him having to spend his summer at the camp. The tears were now flowing freely, sobbing into David’s shirt. He felt that David tried to hug him back with one arm and he immediately felt warmer, the pain being washed away.  
Everything was going to be ok.


End file.
